1/22/2018

BUDGET/JOBS/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The federal workers showed up at their offices on Monday [1-22-18] morning. They collected their desk plants and food from break-room refrigerators. They shut down their government equipment. They went home to take aimless walks and wait. But by the afternoon, hundreds of thousands of federal employees across the country were left […]

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1/22/2018

BUDGET/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Senate standoff that sparked a three-day government shutdown ended Monday [1-22-18] when Democrats accepted GOP leaders’ assurance that they would bring an immigration bill to the floor in the coming weeks. The agreement will keep the government running for several weeks, but did little to resolve the underlying policy fights over […]

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1/22/2018

DEMS/POLITICS: “Emboldened by statewide victories last year in Virginia and Alabama, Democrats are setting their sights this fall on another Deep South prize once thought to be out of reach: Georgia’s governorship, a seat the party hasn’t held in more than 15 years. The party has two major candidates with a lot in common: Stacey […]

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1/22/2018

DEMS/DREAMERS/IMMIGRATION/POLITICS: “Liberal activists are furious with Democratic senators after most of them agreed to reopen the federal government without a firm path to shielding young immigrants from deportation. As the third day of the shutdown dawned, liberal advocates and immigration groups fired off a joint statement blasting as ‘unacceptable’ Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s offer […]

Read More… from 1/22/2018

1/22/2018

BUDGET/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Senate voted to advance a bill that would reopen the federal government after a brief shutdown, as Democrats agreed to a short-term pause in their standoff with Republicans over immigration policy. The vote was 81-18, easily passing the needed 60-vote threshold. Two Republicans joined 15 Democrats and one independent in opposing […]

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1/22/2018

BUDGET/DEMS/GOP/POLITICS: “In a dramatic turnaround, Senate Democrats voted to re-open the government on Monday [1-22-18] after receiving a commitment from Republicans to hold a vote on immigration legislation — paving the way to end the three-day shutdown. The Senate voted 81-18 to move forward on a bill to fund the government through Feb. 8 after […]

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1/22/2018

BUDGET/MILITARY/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The first two military families who will not receive death benefits because of the government shutdown have been named. 1st Lt. Clayton R. Cullen, of Indiana, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 (CW2) Kevin F. Burke, of California, who were both assigned to the 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, were killed […]

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1/22/2018

BUDGET/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump may be presiding over the first government shutdown ever to occur when one party controls Washington, but in his own telling he is just beginning to master the ways of the capital… Whether the shutdown amounts to a political victory for Trump — or a dire miscalculation — remains […]

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1/22/2018

BUDGET/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Lawmakers on Monday entered the third day of the government shutdown planning a noon vote in the Senate to break the impasse, in an effort to prevent it from hardening into a prolonged standoff that would become increasingly difficult to resolve. Republicans have proposed a bill that would reopen the government for […]

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1/22/2018

BUDGET/POLITICAL FIGURES/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP POSITION CHANGES: “Lawmakers who have complained publicly that they are not sure what President Donald Trump wants out of a deal to end the ongoing government shutdown are “not paying attention,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Monday morning, accusing Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of being unable to […]

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1/22/2018

BUDGET/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The effects of a government shutdown that began Saturday [1-20-18] will kick in more forcefully Monday morning across the federal bureaucracy, as agencies begin implementing contingency plans to scale back operations and send workers home. The Senate is scheduled to vote at noon EST Monday whether to advance a measure that would […]

Read More… from 1/22/2018

1/21/2018

BUDGET/POLITICS: “Senators failed on Sunday [1-21-18] to reach an agreement to end the government shutdown, ensuring that hundreds of thousands of federal employees would be furloughed Monday morning even as the outlines of a potential compromise came into focus. For much of the day, feverish work by a bipartisan group of senators offered a reason […]

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1/21/2018

BUDGET/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Great to see how hard Republicans are fighting for our Military and Safety at the Border. The Dems just want illegal immigrants to pour into our nation unchecked. If stalemate continues, Republicans should go to 51% (Nuclear Option) and vote on real, long term budget, no C.R.’s!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Jan. 21, […]

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1/21/2018

BUDGET/IMMIGRATION/POLITICS: “For months, lawmakers were convinced that an inevitable showdown over immigration would come down to funding for President Donald Trump’s promised border wall as part of a package to protect young immigrants. Instead, the fight that sparked the continuing government shutdown centers on an array of other conservative policies Mr. Trump is insisting on […]

Read More… from 1/21/2018

1/20/2018

GOP/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “For those asking, the Republicans only have 51 votes in the Senate, and they need 60. That is why we need to win more Republicans in 2018 Election! We can then be even tougher on Crime (and Border), and even better to our Military & Veterans!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Jan. 20, 2018 […]

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1/20/2018

BUDGET/DEMS/IMMIGRATION/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Democrats are far more concerned with Illegal Immigrants than they are with our great Military or Safety at our dangerous Southern Border. They could have easily made a deal but decided to play Shutdown politics instead. #WeNeedMoreRepublicansIn18 in order to power through mess!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Jan. 20, 2018 06:17am […]

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1/19/2018

BUDGET/MILITARY/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Not looking good for our great Military or Safety & Security on the very dangerous Southern Border. Dems want a Shutdown in order to help diminish the great success of the Tax Cuts, and what they are doing for our booming economy.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Jan. 19, 2018 09:28pm […]

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1/19/2018

BUDGET/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Excellent preliminary meeting in Oval with @SenSchumer – working on solutions for Security and our great Military together with @SenateMajLdr McConnell and @SpeakerRyan. Making progress – four week extension would be best!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Jan. 19, 2018 05:17pm […]

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1/19/2018

BUDGET/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Federal agencies are bracing for a shutdown amid growing uncertainty about whether the Senate will vote to keep the government open past midnight. Unlike the last federal shutdown in 2013, which President Barack Obama had signaled for weeks, this threat arrived abruptly. On Thursday [1-18-18] morning, President Donald Trump fired off a […]

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1/19/2018

BUDGET/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Government Funding Bill past last night in the House of Representatives. Now Democrats are needed if it is to pass in the Senate – but they want illegal immigration and weak borders. Shutdown coming? We need more Republican victories in 2018!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Jan. 19, 2018 07:04am […]

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1/19/2018

BUDGET/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The U.S. Congress raced the clock to avoid a federal government shutdown before a midnight deadline on Friday [1-19-18] after a meeting between President Donald Trump and Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer failed to produce a deal. Trump invited Schumer to the White House for talks as a stopgap bill to fund […]

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1/18/2018

POLITICS/PROTESTS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Women around the world will return to the streets this weekend, one year after millions marched to protest U.S. President Donald Trump’s election, with a new goal – electing more women’s rights advocates. Trump’s misogynist comments and policies rolling back birth control and equal pay efforts have propelled many women into activism […]

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1/18/2018

GOP/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “After a critical loss for Republicans in Alabama last month, President Donald Trump is wading back into congressional politics on Thursday [1-18-18] when he travels to western Pennsylvania to signal his backing for the party’s candidate in a special election. Trump said on Twitter on Thursday he was making the trip ‘in […]

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1/18/2018

POLITICS: “Will be going to Pennsylvania today in order to give my total support to RICK SACCONE, running for Congress in a Special Election (March 13). Rick is a great guy. We need more Republicans to continue our already successful agenda!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Jan. 18, 2018 07:53am […]

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1/18/2018

DEMS/GOP/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump, cabinet officials and other Washington Republicans are scrambling to fend off a Democratic upset in a congressional special election, this one in a southwestern Pennsylvania district that Mr. Trump carried by 20 percentage points in 2016. The Democrats, in contrast, have yet to invest significant resources in the race, […]

Read More… from 1/18/2018

1/17/2018

BUDGET/POLITICAL FIGURES/POLITICS: “Sen. Lindsey Graham said Wednesday [1-17-18] he won’t vote for a short-term spending bill — also known as a continuing resolution or CR — that Republicans are attempting to pass by Friday night to avoid a government shutdown. The South Carolina Republican continued to push for the bipartisan proposal that he and five […]

Read More… from 1/17/2018

1/17/2018

DEMS/GOP/POLITICS: “Democrats on Tuesday [1-16-18] won a special election for a Wisconsin state senate seat in a district that President Donald Trump carried by 17 percentage points in the 2016 election, a victory that GOP leaders cautioned is another warning about potential losses in this year’s congressional midterms. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican seeking […]

Read More… from 1/17/2018

1/17/2018

POLITICS/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA: “Robert Mueller’s Russia probe isn’t ending any time soon, and that’s bad news for President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans already bracing for a possible 2018 Democratic midterm wave. While many Republicans insist the Trump-Russia saga is overblown, they worry headlines about federal indictments, high profile trials—and a potential blockbuster meeting between Mueller […]

Read More… from 1/17/2018

1/16/2018

BUDGET/HOUSE OF REPS/POLITICS: “House Republicans on Tuesday [1-16-18] night appeared to coalesce around a short-term funding bill to avert a government shutdown Friday — even as conservatives threatened to oppose it and a bitter fight continued over the fate of more than 700,000 Dreamers. Speaker Paul Ryan unveiled a plan at a House GOP Conference […]

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1/16/2018

DREAMERS/IMMIGRATION/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Senators worked Tuesday [1-16-18] to salvage a bipartisan plan to protect ‘Dreamers’—young undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. by their parents—as the divide grew over an immigration deal seen as key to avoiding a government shutdown this weekend. The White House complicated the negotiations by insisting that Congress allocate billions more for […]

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1/16/2018

POLITICAL FIGURES/POLITICS: “Joe Arpaio, a polarizing national figure for his hard line on immigration, was voted out of office after nearly 24 years as Maricopa County Sheriff. He was convicted of disobeying a court order to stop the immigration raids that helped make him famous. Now, at 85, Mr. Arpaio is back—and aiming for higher […]

Read More… from 1/16/2018

1/12/2018

GOP/POLITICS: “Republican U.S. Representative Martha McSally of Arizona said on Friday [1-12-18] she would run for the Senate seat being vacated by Jeff Flake, joining a contentious primary contest. Republican leaders had been pushing for McSally, a former Air Force combat pilot seen as a more moderate candidate, to enter a primary race that already […]

Read More… from 1/12/2018

1/11/2018

DREAMERS/IMMIGRATION/POLITICS: “A bipartisan group of six senators has reached a deal that would shield ‘Dreamers’ from deportation and make other changes to immigration laws and border security — but the framework has yet to win over the White House and other key players on Capitol Hill. As of Wednesday [1-10-18] night, multiple sources said the […]

Read More… from 1/11/2018

1/10/2018

DEMS/GOP/POLITICS: “On Wednesday [1-10-18], California Rep. Darrell Issa announced his retirement from Congres, the latest senior Republican to walk away from Washington amid mounting fears that a Democratic wave — fueled by President Donald Trump’s terrible approval ratings — is headed toward Washington this fall. Issa’s retirement comes hot on the heels of his California […]

Read More… from 1/10/2018

1/9/2018

GOP/POLITICS/VOTING: “A panel of federal judges struck down North Carolina’s congressional map on Tuesday [1-9-18], condemning it as unconstitutional because Republicans had drawn the map seeking a political advantage. The ruling was the first time that a federal court had blocked a congressional map because of a partisan gerrymander, and it instantly endangered Republican seats […]

Read More… from 1/9/2018

1/8/2018

MIKE PENCE/POLITICS: “Vice President Mike Pence is jumping into the midterm elections, planning visits soon to Nevada and Pennsylvania and helping recruit a candidate in Ohio amid an aggressive push to retain Republican control of Congress. Mr. Pence, in an interview at his White House office Monday, conceded that history shows it is difficult for […]

Read More… from 1/8/2018

1/7/2018

CABINET/DONALD ON DONALD/POLITICS: “Leaving Camp David for the White House. Great meetings with the Cabinet and Military on many very important subjects including Border Security & the desperately needed Wall, the ever increasing Drug and Opioid Problem, Infrastructure, Military, Budget, Trade and DACA.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Jan. 7, 2018 09:33am […]

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1/6/2018

2016 ELECTION/DONALD ON DONALD/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump again insisted on Saturday [1-7-18] that he was not under investigation by Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel investigating Russian influence on the 2016 election, adding that ‘there’s been no collusion, there’s been no crime.’ ‘Everything I’ve done is 100 percent proper,’ Mr. Trump said […]

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1/5/2018

JEFF SESSIONS/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/LEGAL/POLITICS: “The Trump administration finally crossed the line for some members of Congress this week, provoking bipartisan umbrage and accompanying pledges to hold top officials accountable. Many thought the day had been far too long in coming. Few thought the galvanizing issue would be weed. Both Republicans and Democrats reacted with dismay and […]

Read More… from 1/5/2018

1/3/2018

DEMS/DREAMERS/IMMIGRATION/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Congressional leaders emerged Wednesday [1-3-18] from a meeting with White House officials without a budget deal, as Democrats intensified their push to reach an immigration agreement as part of the negotiations. Lawmakers returning to Washington from their holiday break have less than three weeks before the government’s current funding expires at 12:01 […]

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1/3/2018

BUDGET/POLITICS: “Congressional leaders and White House officials will restart negotiations Wednesday [1-3-18] to iron out differences over spending on the Pentagon and other government agencies, with lawmakers hoping to avoid more short-term patches. Congress ran out of time last year to tackle the spending fight, instead opting to keep the government open with a stop-gap […]

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1/2/2018

LABOR/LEGAL/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Not long before a deluge of sexual harassment claims engulfed Capitol Hill, congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump quietly repealed safeguards to protect hundreds of thousands of American workers from such harassment. Their target was an August 2016 regulation issued by the Obama Labor Department that required businesses to disclose certain labor […]

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1/2/2018

DEMS/DREAMERS/GOP/POLITICS: “Democrats are doing nothing for DACA – just interested in politics. DACA activists and Hispanics will go hard against Dems, will start ‘falling in love’ with Republicans and their President! We are about RESULTS.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Jan. 2, 2018 10:16am […]

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1/2/2018

DEMS/GOP/POLITICS: “Democrat Doug Jones will be sworn in Wednesday as Alabama’s newest senator, bolstering his party’s moderate wing and raising the prospect of growing philosophical divides among Senate Democrats. After Mr. Jones is seated, Republicans will control 51 seats compared with 49 for Democrats. With that narrow majority, Republicans can lose no more than one […]

Read More… from 1/2/2018

12/31/2017

DEMS/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Why would smart voters want to put Democrats in Congress in 2018 Election when their policies will totally kill the great wealth created during the months since the Election. People are much better off now not to mention ISIS, VA, Judges, Strong Border, 2nd A, Tax Cuts & more?” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, […]

Read More… from 12/31/2017

12/22/2017

POLITICS: “Congressman Ron DeSantis is a brilliant young leader, Yale and then Harvard Law, who would make a GREAT Governor of Florida. He loves our Country and is a true FIGHTER!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Dec. 22, 2017 01:40pm […]

Read More… from 12/22/2017

12/22/2017

LEGAL/POLITICS: “A key Senate committee on Thursday [12-21-17] night publicly released data about workplace settlements reached and paid out in the Senate since 1997, totaling some two dozen cases amounting to $1.45 million. The breakdown, which the Senate Rules and Administration Committee said was information provided by the Office of Compliance, included 13 settlements for […]

Read More… from 12/22/2017

12/22/2017

POLITICS/TAXES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Our big and very popular Tax Cut and Reform Bill has taken on an unexpected new source of ‘love’ – that is big companies and corporations showering their workers with bonuses. This is a phenomenon that nobody even thought of, and now it is the rage. Merry Christmas!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Dec. […]

Read More… from 12/22/2017

12/21/2017

NATIONAL SECURITY/POLITICS: “A bipartisan pair of senators vowed Wednesday [12-20-17] to mount a filibuster of any long-term extension of a key surveillance law, complicating the efforts of congressional leaders to keep one of the most important spying tools in the government’s arsenal from expiring. Sens. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, and Ron Wyden, an Oregon […]

Read More… from 12/21/2017

12/19/2017

LEGAL/POLITICAL FIGURES/POLITICS: “The secretive office that processes workplace misconduct complaints on Capitol Hill has declined Sen. Tim Kaine’s request for data on sexual harassment claims filed in the upper chamber — data that Kaine had said he would make public. The Virginia Democrat sought details Dec. 6 on the taxpayer-funded settlements that the Hill’s Office […]

Read More… from 12/19/2017

12/18/2017

2016 ELECTION/INTELLIGENCE/POLITICAL FIGURES/POLITICS/RUSSIA: “The top congressional committee investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election has set its sights on the Green Party and its nominee, Jill Stein. Dennis Trainor Jr., who worked for the Stein campaign from January to August of 2015, says Stein contacted him on Friday saying the Senate Intelligence Committee had […]

Read More… from 12/18/2017

12/18/2017

DEBT/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Mortgage-finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are here to stay. Lawmakers in both parties and the Trump administration are negotiating overhauls of the two companies—critical to home mortgages but in government conservatorship since the financial crisis—that could keep them at the center of the U.S. mortgage market for years to come, […]

Read More… from 12/18/2017

12/17/2017

BUDGET/DREAMERS/IMMIGRATION/POLITICS: “Congress begins its likely final week of 2017 with lawmakers from both parties forced to grapple with tough questions they have deferred all year, including immigration and the federal budget. The government’s current funding expires Saturday [12-16-17] at 12:01 a.m., with no clear plan in sight on how to keep it running. In one […]

Read More… from 12/17/2017

12/15/2017

DEMS/GOP/POLITICS/TAXES: “A controversial provision that would have permitted nonprofit groups to enter politics and could have led so-called ‘dark money’ contributions to become tax deductible has been dropped from the GOP tax bill, according to a leading Senate Democrat. Sen. Ron Wyden gave credit to his fellow Democrats for striking the Republican proposal to roll […]

Read More… from 12/15/2017

12/14/2017

FCC/NET NEUTRALITY/POLITICS: “The U.S. Federal Communications Commission vote on Thursday [12-14-17] to roll back net neutrality rules could galvanize young voters, a move Democrats hope will send millennials to the polls in greater numbers and bolster their chances in next year’s elections. Democrats are hoping to paint the repeal of the rules by the FCC, […]

Read More… from 12/14/2017

12/14/2017

POLITICS/TAXES: “The tax bill moving through Congress is about 500 pages long, containing enough paper to wrap lots of Christmas presents for boys and girls across the land. The gifts in the text are tax cuts—more than $1.4 trillion of them over the next decade—scattered throughout a bill that Republican lawmakers are striving to make […]

Read More… from 12/14/2017

12/13/2017

GOP/MIKE PENCE/POLITICS: “The upset defeat of Republican Roy Moore in Alabama’s special Senate election sparked finger-pointing Wednesday [12-13-17] between the GOP establishment, who opposed Mr. Moore, and Donald Trump’s insurgent allies led by Steve Bannon, who backed him. The bickering set off by the victory of Democrat Doug Jones heightened anxieties about GOP prospects in […]

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12/13/2017

GOP/POLITICS: “If last night’s election proved anything, it proved that we need to put up GREAT Republican candidates to increase the razor thin margins in both the House and Senate.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Dec. 13, 2017 09:45am […]

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12/13/2017

DEMS/GOP/POLITICS: “Democrat Doug Jones of Alabama on Tuesday [12-12-17] scored an upset win in a deeply Republican state, capturing the U.S. Senate seat here in a special election that drove a wedge within the Republican party and gave Democrats another burst of momentum ahead of the 2018 midterm races. The result was a defeat for […]

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12/13/2017

GOP/POLITICS: “The reason I originally endorsed Luther Strange (and his numbers went up mightily), is that I said Roy Moore will not be able to win the General Election. I was right! Roy worked hard but the deck was stacked against him!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Dec. 13, 2017 06:22am […]

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12/12/2017

DEMS/GOP/POLITICS: “Congratulations to Doug Jones on a hard fought victory. The write-in votes played a very big factor, but a win is a win. The people of Alabama are great, and the Republicans will have another shot at this seat in a very short period of time. It never ends!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Dec. 12, […]

Read More… from 12/12/2017

12/12/2017

GOP/POLITICS/TAXES: “Republicans reconciling House and Senate tax bills say they are narrowing their differences, putting a $1.4 trillion tax cut on track to be unveiled by Friday [12-8-17] and passed by both chambers next week. Tuesday evening, Senate Republicans were preparing to send their latest offer back to their House counterparts, in a negotiation that […]

Read More… from 12/12/2017

12/12/2017

DEMS/GOP/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The people of Alabama will do the right thing. Doug Jones is Pro-Abortion, weak on Crime, Military and Illegal Immigration, Bad for Gun Owners and Veterans and against the WALL. Jones is a Pelosi/Schumer Puppet. Roy Moore will always vote with us. VOTE ROY MOORE!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Dec. 12, 2017 09:09am […]

Read More… from 12/12/2017

12/11/2017

POLITICS: “Lawmakers are moving to change procedures for reporting sexual harassment on Capitol Hill and how settlements are funded, after Congress was shaken last week by more allegations of improper behavior and three resignations. Lawmakers are looking inward at their own policies in the wake of the ‘Me Too’ movement, which has created a national […]

Read More… from 12/11/2017

12/11/2017

POLITICS/TAXES/TREASURY: “The Treasury Department said Monday [12-11-17] that the GOP tax plan currently before Congress would need an assist from other Trump administration priorities to pay for itself. Tax cuts alone aren’t enough, Treasury said in a one-page analysis, citing welfare reform and infrastructure spending as additional boosts to the economy. The analysis assumes that […]

Read More… from 12/11/2017

12/11/2017

POLITICAL FIGURES/POLITICS: “Alabama Republican Senate nominee Roy Moore appeared on a conspiracy-driven radio show twice in 2011, where he told the hosts in an interview that getting rid of constitutional amendments after the Tenth Amendment would ‘eliminate many problems’ in the way the US government is structured. Alabama’s special election for Senate, in which Moore […]

Read More… from 12/11/2017

12/11/2017

POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump sought to boost Republican U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore by releasing a recorded phone call on his behalf in the final stretch of a bitter Alabama election fight marked by accusations of sexual misconduct against Moore. Moore, 70, a conservative Christian and former Alabama Supreme Court justice, will face […]

Read More… from 12/11/2017

12/10/2017

DEMS/GOP/POLITICS: “A heated race for an Alabama U.S. Senate seat entered its final days with Democrat Doug Jones trying to mobilize voters, especially African-Americans, and front-runner Republican Roy Moore facing a fresh call from the state’s senior senator for GOP voters to avoid him on Tuesday [12-12-17]. The two men are competing in what has […]

Read More… from 12/10/2017

12/10/2017

POLITICS: “In Pennsylvania state Senator Daylin Leach’s bid to win a seat vital to the Democratic Party’s chances in 2018 elections of taking control of the U.S. Congress, his opponents may not be his biggest obstacle. Leach is running in one of the country’s most gerrymandered congressional districts, one with such a twisting, winding shape […]

Read More… from 12/10/2017

12/9/2017

DEMS/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A big contingent of very enthusiastic Roy Moore fans at the rally last night. We can’t have a Pelosi/Schumer Liberal Democrat, Jones, in that important Alabama Senate seat. Need your vote to Make America Great Again! Jones will always vote against what we must do for our Country.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Dec. […]

Read More… from 12/9/2017

12/8/2017

DRUGS/PHARMA/POLITICS/TAXES: “A tax overhaul bill being hammered into its final form by Senate and House Republicans is all but certain to cut tax credits designed to encourage development of ‘orphan drugs’ meant to treat rare diseases afflicting limited numbers of patients. Since 1983, a federal law has allowed fledgling companies to write off 50% of […]

Read More… from 12/8/2017

12/8/2017

POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “LAST thing the Make America Great Again Agenda needs is a Liberal Democrat in Senate where we have so little margin for victory already. The Pelosi/Schumer Puppet Jones would vote against us 100% of the time. He’s bad on Crime, Life, Border, Vets, Guns & Military. VOTE ROY MOORE!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, […]

Read More… from 12/8/2017

12/8/2017

POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Big crowd expected today in Pensacola, Florida, for a Make America Great Again speech. We have done so much in so short a period of time…and yet are planning to do so much more! See you there!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Dec. 8, 2017 08:11am […]

Read More… from 12/8/2017

12/7/201

POLITICS: “Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) announced Thursday [12-7-17] that he would resign from office as of Jan. 31, 2018, after discussing surrogacy issues with female staffers… Franks’ announcement shocked Capitol Hill. He has been a vocal social conservative since being elected to Congress in 2002, and has authored numerous anti-abortion bills. He is married, with […]

Read More… from 12/7/201

12/7/2017

DEMS/POLITICS: “Former Gov. Phil Bredesen, the last Democrat to win statewide office in Tennessee, announced on Thursday [12-7-17] that he would run for the seat being vacated by Senator Bob Corker, handing his party a conceivable, if extremely narrow, path back to a Senate majority in 2018. Mr. Bredesen, a wealthy business executive and two-term […]

Read More… from 12/7/2017

12/7/2017

BUDGET/POLITICS: “Congress passed a two-week funding bill Thursday [12-7-17], staving off a government shutdown a day ahead of the deadline. But lawmakers face a turbulent next few weeks as they try to clinch a broader budget deal by the end of the year. Senators approved the measure on a 81-14 vote, soon after the House […]

Read More… from 12/7/2017

12/7/2017

ETHICS/POLITICS: “The House Ethics Committee launched an investigation into Rep. Blake Farenthold over allegations that he sexually harassed a former aide and then retaliated against her when she complained about it. The committee said new evidence in the matter, which was first reviewed in 2015, warranted an investigation. Earlier Thursday [12-7-17], the panel said it […]

Read More… from 12/7/2017

12/4/2017

POLITICAL FIGURES/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump threw his support behind Alabama candidate Roy Moore on Monday [12-4-17], calling the Senate hopeful, who has been accused of sexual misconduct, and tweeting that ‘we need Republican Roy Moore to win’ in order to push through the president’s agenda… Trump seemed to warm to Moore after endorsing […]

Read More… from 12/4/2017

12/4/2017

MEDIA/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A must watch: Legal Scholar Alan Dershowitz was just on @foxandfriends talking of what is going on with respect to the greatest Witch Hunt in U.S. political history. Enjoy!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Dec. 4, 2017 07:35am […]

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12/4/2017

GOP/POLITICS: “Putting Pelosi/Schumer Liberal Puppet Jones into office in Alabama would hurt our great Republican Agenda of low on taxes, tough on crime, strong on military and borders…& so much more. Look at your 401-k’s since Election. Highest Stock Market EVER! Jobs are roaring back!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Dec. 4, 2017 07:00am […]

Read More… from 12/4/2017

12/2/2017

EDUCATION/POLITICS: “The sprawling, 542-page revamp of the Higher Education Act released Friday [12-1-17] by Rep. Virginia Foxx (R., N.C.), chairwoman of the House Education and Workforce Committee, kicks off what is likely to be a rocky and drawn-out legislative process aimed at reshaping college education. The bill, previewed earlier this week by The Wall Street […]

Read More… from 12/2/2017

11/29/2017

POLITICS/TAXES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “This week, the Senate can join the House & take a strong stand for the Middle Class families who are the backbone of America. Together, we will give the American people a big, beautiful Christmas present-a massive tax cut that lets Americans keep more of their HARD-EARNED MONEY! https://t.co/9jddEW2Oo5” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, […]

Read More… from 11/29/2017

11/28/2017

POLITICS/RUSSIA: “New legislation championed by two DC Council members would symbolically change the name of a small stretch of road outside the Russian Embassy to that of Boris Nemtsov, a pro-democracy Russian dissident who was assassinated in Moscow in 2015. The honorary renaming is meant to send a message to Russia and the rest of […]

Read More… from 11/28/2017

11/27/2017

GUNS/POLITICS: “Buying a fully assembled gun is a process subject to a host of regulations and restrictions, especially in states like California that tend to be more stringent. But anyone can make a gun at home. The do-it-yourself route is often favored by gun enthusiasts, including hobbyists and competitive shooters. It can also be a […]

Read More… from 11/27/2017

11/27/2017

POLITICAL FIGURES/POLITICS: “Doug Jones and Roy Moore both released new television ads on Monday [11-27-17]. But many Alabama voters will see only one of them. That’s because of the massive disparity in TV ad spending between the two candidates in the Alabama special election to a Senate seat, where Jones, the Democratic candidate, is outspending […]

Read More… from 11/27/2017

11/26/2017

POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “I endorsed Luther Strange in the Alabama Primary. He shot way up in the polls but it wasn’t enough. Can’t let Schumer/Pelosi win this race. Liberal Jones would be BAD!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 26, 2017 09:33am […]

Read More… from 11/26/2017

11/26/2017

POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The last thing we need in Alabama and the U.S. Senate is a Schumer/Pelosi puppet who is WEAK on Crime, WEAK on the Border, Bad for our Military and our great Vets, Bad for our 2nd Amendment, AND WANTS TO RAISES TAXES TO THE SKY. Jones would be a disaster!” -Donald Trump, […]

Read More… from 11/26/2017

11/21/2017

HOUSE OF REPS/LGBTQ/POLITICS: “With Virginia’s first openly transgender elected official preparing to take her seat in the House of Delegates, the Republican leader of that chamber says it is time to end a tradition of addressing lawmakers by formal male and female pronouns. Instead of the ‘gentleman’ or ‘gentlewoman’ from a given jurisdiction, lawmakers will […]

Read More… from 11/21/2017

11/21/2017

DREAMERS/IMMIGRATION/POLITICS: “Concern is growing in both parties that a clash over the fate of Dreamers will trigger a government shutdown this December. House conservatives have warned Speaker Paul Ryan against lumping a fix for undocumented immigrants who came to the country as minors into a year-end spending deal. They want him to keep the two […]

Read More… from 11/21/2017

11/20/2017

LEGAL/POLITICS: “As the outcry against sexual misconduct ripples from Hollywood to corporations to Washington, D.C., it also is growing in a realm long plagued by such behavior—state capitols. Allegations of sexual harassment or sexual misconduct by state lawmakers have surfaced in at least a dozen states, prompting investigations, changes in reporting and investigation protocols, and […]

Read More… from 11/20/2017

11/17/2017

DEMS/POLITICS/TAXES: “If Democrats were not such obstructionists and understood the power of lower taxes, we would be able to get many of their ideas into Bill!” –Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 17, 2017 06:00am […]

Read More… from 11/17/2017

11/17/2017

BANKING/DODD-FRANK/POLITICS: “On Halloween, Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio huddled with fellow Democrats in his Senate offices to make an announcement: months of talks between Mr. Brown and Senate Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo to roll back post-financial crisis rules had ended in failure. Unfazed, Sens. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Jon Tester of Montana and […]

Read More… from 11/17/2017